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Pro Fide - Pro Utilitate Hominum For the Faith and In the Service of Humanity
The Priory in New Zealand
of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of
St John of Jerusalem
Gold Level St John
31 March 2014
The prime purpose of these notes is to provide you with
information about The Most Venerable Order of the
Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (“The Order of St John”)
as you work towards your Gold St John badge.
Contents
Section Subject
1. The Order
2. A brief history
3. The mutually recognised Orders of St John
4. The Objects and Purposes of the Order
5. The Members of the Order
6. The Order as an Order of Chivalry
7. The Order as a Christian Order
8. Organisations of the Order
9. The Order as a Major International Charity
10. Governance
11. Finance
12. The Insignia of the Order
13. Further Information
Section 1: The Order
The Order of St John – its full name is The Most Venerable Order of the
Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem – has a unique combination of features.
It is an organisation which:
a. stems from roots that began in the 11th Century;
b. in its current form, was incorporated in the United Kingdom by a
Royal Charter granted by Queen Victoria in 1888;
c. is an Order of Chivalry of the British Crown;
d. through its members, is a Christian community;
e. is one of five mutually recognised Orders of St John;
f. is a major international charity, recognised at the United Nations, that
carries on its activities in more than 40 countries; and
g. has about 25,000 members worldwide and is supported by over 8,000
salaried employees as well as by about 400,000 regular volunteers
and numerous other supporters.
The following pages will give you more details about the Order.
Section 2: A Brief History
The exact date when the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem first
came into being is unknown although it was about 1080, when a hospice - a
place of care - was established in Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims by monks
from a neighbouring Benedictine abbey.
The hospice soon developed into a hospital and in 1113 the Pope confirmed
its independence. Over the next forty years it developed into a religious
order, with its brothers and sisters (commonly known as Hospitallers of St
John) providing care to the poor and sick of any faith. They also took on the
additional role of defending all Christians and others within their care when
they were threatened.
The Order was driven from Jerusalem in 1187 and established its
headquarters on the coast of Palestine, before moving to Cyprus and then on
to Rhodes. In 1530 it moved to Malta, where it governed until it was expelled
by Napoleon in 1798.
From the beginning the Order grew rapidly and was given land throughout
Western Europe. Its estates were managed by small groups of brothers and
sisters who lived in communities that provided resources to the headquarters
of the Order. These communities were gradually gathered into provinces
called Priories or Grand Priories.
In Britain these estates were first administered from one of the communities
(called a Commandery) at Clerkenwell, London from about 1140 and the
original Priory Church was built at the same time.
However, over time, the extensive amount of land the Order owned in Britain
meant that it needed to be managed by several different Commanderies. In
1185 the Commandery at Clerkenwell became a Priory, and had responsibility
for Commanderies that had been set up in Scotland and Wales as well as the
ones in England. Ireland became a separate Priory.
In 1540 the Order was suppressed by King Henry VIII, as part of the process
known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was restored and
incorporated by Queen Mary I in 1557, but when Queen Elizabeth I again
confiscated all its estates in 1559 she did so without annulling its
incorporation. These acts by English Sovereigns did not directly affect the
Order in Scotland, but the influence of the Reformation ended the Order’s
activities there in about 1565 The Order in Britain then fell into abeyance.
The religious Order of the Hospital of St John, which is now formally known as
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes
and of Malta, went through a time of disarray after it was expelled from Malta,
but in the middle of the nineteenth century it was re-established, with
headquarters in Rome. It is still often called “The Order of Malta” and its
members are frequently referred to as “Knights of Malta”.
In the 1820s the Knights of Malta living in France offered knighthoods to
specific people supporting the Order in Great Britain, irrespective of their
Christian denomination.
Their approach was not part of the official policy of the Order of Malta, but the
English Knights devoted themselves to charitable activities, which were
organised into what became known as Foundations. It was this British group,
carrying out very substantial charitable activities, which Queen Victoria
recognised and incorporated in 1888 and which became the modern Order of
St John.
There were originally three charitable Foundations of the modern Order. One,
which became The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Foundation, was
established in 1882. The St John Ambulance Association, which was
concerned with training the public in first aid, was established in 1877. And,
the third was The St John Ambulance Brigade, which provided first aid care to
the public. It had its origins in 1873, and became a Foundation in 1887. In the
UK, the St John Ambulance Association and The St John Ambulance Brigade
were amalgamated in 1974 to form the present St John Ambulance.
There was a major re-structuring of the Order’s constitution in 1999. This
introduced a Grand Council (see Section 10), removed restrictions as to
nationality and religious belief on full membership of the Order; and
established a new Priory to carry on the activities of the Order in England and
the Islands.
St John New Zealand
St John was established in New Zealand at a public meeting in Christchurch
on 30 April 1885, at St Mary’s Church, Merivale, followed later the same year
by a Centre in Wellington.
The first Division in New Zealand of the St John Ambulance Brigade (the
operational uniformed branch) was formed in Dunedin in December 1892.
In 1927, the Brigade formed a Cadet Section in Wanganui to train young
people in the skills of first aid and health care, as well as encouraging life
skills and good citizenship.
A Commandery of the Order was formed in New Zealand in 1931 which
created a governance board and gave some local powers. The Commandery
was raised to the status of a Priory in 1946, which allowed for a large degree
of autonomy, but within the framework of Royal Charters, Statutes and
Regulations of the Order.
A major restructuring in 1987 created a Regional structure for St John in New
Zealand and renamed the Brigade as Community Services. In 1990 the
membership of Chapter was redefined and now comprises predominantly
Senior Members of the Order (Knights, Dames and Commanders) elected
from with the Regions. In 2006 St John Ambulance Services and St John
Community Services merged to become St John Operations.
The Prior (by convention the Governor-General) is supreme head of the Order
in New Zealand, executive responsibility being delegated to the Chancellor,
through the Priory Chapter and the Priory Trust Board.
The Chief Executive has overall responsibility to the Priory Trust Board for the
operation of St John in New Zealand, but in his work with the Priory Chapter
and the affairs of the Order he is known as the Priory Secretary.
Section 3: The Mutually Recognised Orders of St John
There are five mutually recognised Orders of St John, all of which come from
the same beginnings.
These are:
a. the Order of St John (www.orderofstjohn.org);
b. the Order of Malta (www.orderofmalta.int), (referred to in Section 2);
c. the Johanniterorden, of Germany (www.johanniter.de);
d. the Crown Order of St John in The Netherlands
(www.johanniterorde.nl); and
e. the Crown Order of St John in Sweden (www.johanniterorden.se).
The Johanniterorden was previously an Order under the protection of the King
of Prussia and is now recognised as an Order of Chivalry by the Federal
German Republic and by several countries in which it has Commanderies,
including Finland, France and Hungary.
The Orders of St John in The Netherlands and in Sweden are recognised by
the Sovereign authorities in those countries.
All five Orders use the eight-pointed white Maltese (or Amalfi) cross, either by
itself or with distinguishing features.
Each of the Orders is autonomous, but there is increasing co-operation
between them, particularly at the practical level.
One or more of these Orders has a presence of some form in about 150
countries of the world.
Section 4: The Objects and Purposes of the Order
The Order is governed by its Charter, Statutes and Regulations. This is
explained in detail in Section 10.
The objects and purposes of the Order are stated in Statute 4. The two key
objects are:
(a) The encouragement of all that makes for the spiritual and moral
strengthening of mankind in accordance with the first great
principle of the Order embodied in the Motto ‘Pro Fide’;
(b) The encouragement and promotion of all work of humanity and
charity for the relief of persons in sickness, distress, suffering or
danger, without distinction of race, class or creed and the
extension of the second great principle of the Order embodied in
the Motto ‘Pro Utilitate Hominum’.
Pro Fide means For the Faith, (meaning the Christian faith) and Pro Utilitate
Hominum means In the Service of Humanity.
The Statutes of the Order also contain a number of more specific objects.
These include (not in the same order as are stated in the Statutes):
a. to maintain and develop The St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem;
b. to maintain and develop The St John Ambulance;
c. to provide reserves trained in first aid and allied subjects ready to
act in aid of the Armed Forces and Civil Defence Organisations;
d. to award medals and other recognition for special services in the
cause of humanity, especially personal bravery; and
e. to act as a heritage body, by establishing libraries and museums
and their collections (as well as by owning historic buildings).
Unlike other Crown Orders of Chivalry, the Order of St John is, therefore, very
much a working Order and this places special obligations and responsibilities
on Members.
The whole text of Statute 4 can be found in Annex A.
Section 5: The Members of the Order
The Statutes of the Order provides that, worldwide, there can be a maximum
of 35,000 Members of the Order. There is no restriction as to ethnicity,
gender, nationality or religious allegiance of the Members.
At present, there are about 25,000 Members, who come under one of five
Grades. These Grades, their titles, and the letters of each title are:
a. Grade V Member (MStJ)
b. Grade IV Officer (OStJ)
c. Grade III Commander (CStJ)
d. Grade II Knight or Dame (KStJ or DStJ)
e. Grade I Bailiff Grand Cross or (GCStJ)
Dame Grand Cross
Currently, there is also a Grade VI, Esquire (EsqStJ), although admissions in
this grade have been phased out as an entry level in New Zealand.
Members of the Order live in over 40 countries, mostly in the Commonwealth.
Approximately 9,000 Members are in the United Kingdom and Canada has
the next highest number of Members, with around 2,750. Currently there are
approximately 1700 Members in New Zealand.
The admission of every Member to the Order is granted at the discretion of
the Order and is made with the sanction of Her Majesty The Queen who is the
Sovereign Head of the Order.
The New Zealand Government is not involved in the process of assessing
candidates for admission to the Order. This is purely the function of the
Priory Honours Committee who in turn makes recommendations to Chapter
for admission and promotion. The Chapter recommendations are forwarded
to the Order’s Honours and Awards Committee in London for their approval,
then passed through the Grand Prior for the ultimate sanction of The Queen.
When The Queen has given sanction, an announcement is made in the
London Gazette.
The Order of St John is a working Order in that Members are admitted and
promoted on merit - for the quality of their contribution to the work of St John
and ongoing potential, rather than the work they have done. If you are an
employee, Membership acknowledges your contribution over and above that
for which you are paid. If you leave St John employment, you are required
(because of the declaration you have made) to continue to support the
Order’s work in practical ways. The same applies to any volunteer who for
whatever reason ceases to be actively involved in St John activities. All
members are required to abide by the requirements of the Order and adhere
to its Code of Conduct (see Annex B to this document).
Membership of the Order is not necessarily for life and can be resigned at any
time. Membership can also be terminated by the Order if the Member is
convicted of a serious criminal offence, if the Member persistently does not
pay any of the compulsory oblations or fees (see Section 11), or for any other
substantial reason.
Admission to, or promotion in, the Order does not confer any rank, style, title,
dignity, appellation or social precedence whatsoever and the use of post-
nominal letters is restricted to Order business.
Section 6: The Order as an Order of Chivalry
The Order is an Order of Chivalry.
There is no law to define either “an Order” or “an Order of Chivalry” but the
basic idea of an Order is that it is a group of people who voluntarily agree to
accept a common code of rules to govern their organisation, their conduct,
and the leadership of their head. The affairs of this group of people are
structured or “ordered” by this common code.
The concept of an Order of Chivalry is that the head is a Sovereign, the lawful
successor of such a Sovereign, or a person appointed directly by the authority
of such a Sovereign.
The Order of St John recognises that an Order is an Order of Chivalry if it is
founded by a reigning Sovereign (or in countries which are not monarchies by
another serving Head of State) with whom The Queen, as Sovereign of the
United Kingdom, has, or at the time of its founding had, diplomatic relations
and which continues to be governed by the lawful successor of the founder.
Membership of an Order of Chivalry can only be conferred by the Sovereign
or by a person acting on behalf of the Sovereign and with the consent of the
member. The outcome of this means that when you become a member of an
Order of Chivalry you have received an honour.
The Western European concept of an Order of Chivalry developed in
medieval times. It had three essential aspects:
a. military;
b. nobility; and
c. Christianity.
There are still echoes of the military within the Order, with the use of terms
such as knight, however the Order of St John views the development of the
nobility aspect and maintenance of Christianity as being the important
aspects.
The Order recognises that nobility is not necessarily a matter of birth, rather
that it is based on personal qualities. And so becoming a Member of the
Order means not only is an individual granted an honour but they must also
accept certain obligations.
The key Member obligation is that they act as a person of honour, to care for
the weak, the poor and the sick, to act with decency and integrity, and be
bound by the Orders rules and regulations.
They also agree to uphold the dignity of the Order. This can be interpreted as
its integrity and the value placed on it by the public.
Section 7: The Order as a Christian Order
The Order is a Christian Order but not all of its members are of the Christian
faith.
The Order is a Christian Order in that:
a. it was founded on Christian principles;
b. as an organisation it has a religious belief; and
c. it is motivated by Christian ideals.
Even so, the Order admits those people of different faiths, and those who
have no religious belief who know about the Order’s Christian nature and
who, in good conscience, are able to support the aims of the Order (see
Section 4) as a Christian Order.
Section 2 of this booklet described the origins of the medieval Order. The
Hospitallers looked after the poor and sick of all faiths because they regarded
the poor and the sick as their “lords”, irrespective of the religion of such
people. This is much more than looking after those people only by way of
charitable duty to them.
To the early Hospitallers a sick man or woman represented the person of
Christ, and so was to be treated with the same degree of skill and care as
they would have treated Christ Himself.
The principle of the lordship of the poor and the sick which inspired and
motivated the members of the medieval Order continues to inspire and
motivate the members of the Order of St John today.
The essence of the Order’s religious belief is that:
a. the faith of the Order is in God the Father, God the Son and God
the Holy Spirit;
b. the Order is founded on Christian discipleship;
c. the Order holds to the special belief of the lordship of the poor and
the sick, as explained above;
d. the Order is non-denominational;
e. the members of the Order make up a community dedicated to the
service of others;
f. the two Mottoes of the Order, referred to in Section 4, together
inspire both the life and work of the Order; and
g. the works of the Order are not to be seen as separate from the
Christian faith, as they are an inseparable manifestation of Christian
love in action.
The Christian nature of the Order is reinforced by the fact that the Great
Officers of the Order (see Section 10) have to profess to their Christian faith.
They also have to agree that they will make sure that the faith continues to
inform, inspire and invigorate the work of the Order and that this faith remains
integral to the Order’s identity and tradition.
The Christian nature of the Order is also reinforced by the appointment in
Priories, Commanderies and St John Associations of Chaplains to provide
pastoral care and who demonstrate its commitment to its Christian principles.
Candidates being considered for admission to the Order are assessed on
their merits without taking into account their religious beliefs or their absence
of such beliefs.
The Order wants to be sure that at the time of signing the Declaration (Section
11) the candidate is fully aware of the Christian nature of the Order, and that
they are informed enough to accept the character and aims of the Order in
good conscience.
The way in which they will be regarded or treated as a member of the Order
will in no way be affected by their religious belief. The only exception to this is
for the Great Officers of the Order, as stated above.
Section 8: The Organisations of the Order
With some minor exceptions, each member of the Order is also a member of
a Priory, Commandery or a St John Association.
Very broadly, Priories are the larger and more established organisations of
the Order; Commanderies are organisations within Priories with a significant
degree of practical autonomy, and St John Associations are, with some
notable exceptions, generally smaller organisations, but which play an
important part in the role of the Order. The Priories, Commanderies and St
John Associations, are self-supporting entities and are collectively known as
“Establishments”. There are:
a. Ten Priories:
The Priory of England and the Islands;
The Priory of Scotland;
The Priory for Wales;
The Priory for South Africa;
The Priory in New Zealand;
The Priory of Canada;
The Priory in Australia;
The Priory in the United States of America;
The Priory of Kenya; and
The Priory of Singapore
b. Five Commanderies:
The Commandery of Ards in Northern Ireland; ¹
The Commandery of the Bailiwick of Guernsey; ¹
The Commandery of the Bailiwick of Jersey; ¹
The Commandery of the Isle of Man; ¹ and
The Commandery of Western Australia. ²
1 Dependent upon the Priory of England and the Islands 2 Dependent upon the Priory in Australia
c. 30 St John Associations - in Antigua and Barbuda,
Barbados, Bermuda, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Ghana, Gibraltar,
Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Malawi,
Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka,
Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
There is also an Associated Body in the Republic of Ireland and a
Provisionally Recognised Body in Cameroon.
Part of the work to advance the objects and purposes of the Order is carried
out directly by the headquarters of the Order in London; however the vast
majority of the activities of the Order are carried out in its Establishments.
Section 9: The Order as a Major International Charity
The Order is a major international charity, carrying on a wide range of caring
activities.
The St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem has a modern 49 bed hospital in
Jerusalem with operating theatres and a busy outpatient department. It also
has well-equipped clinics in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as providing
mobile outreach programmes.
St John Ambulance, which is not a single worldwide organisation, is the name
by which many of the Priories, Commanderies and St John Associations carry
out their activities which include first aid care and first aid training, ambulance
and rescue services, home-based care, maternal, newborn and child health
and hospitals and care homes for the elderly. As well, specialised care
activities have been developed to meet particular needs in different countries.
These include a kidney dialysis service, a dental service for the elderly and
therapy pets programmes. St John Ambulance is also a major organisation for
the training and development of young people.
Much of the work of St John Ambulance is undertaken by some 400,000
St John Ambulance volunteers. Only about 10% of these volunteers are
Members of the Order.
In some countries the work of the St John is also assisted by The St John
Fellowship. The St John Fellowship was originally an association mainly for
retired members of St John Ambulance, but is now open to all who have
served the Order.
The St John Fellowship actively supports the work of the Order, and helps
former members to keep in touch with each other. They can also provide help
for members when they are in need. There are well over 200 branches of the
St John Fellowship worldwide.
The Order is also a Non-Governmental Organisation, which has had Special
Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United
Nations since 1999 and which can thereby participate in its affairs.
Section 10: Constitution and Governance
The constitution of the Order is to be found in the Royal Charter, Statutes, and
Regulations of the Order and Instructions issued by the Grand Council.
There have been several Royal Charters since Queen Victoria granted the
initial Charter of 1888. Royal Charters granted in 1955 and 1974 are currently
in force.
The Statutes of the Order are approved by the Privy Council of the United
Kingdom. Regulations are made by the Grand Prior and Grand Council
Instructions are made by the Grand Council. All these documents apply to
every Member of the Order. The Statutes and Regulations are available to
download from the Order’s website, and Grand Council Instructions from the
Order Matters section of the Hub.
The reigning monarch of the United Kingdom is the Sovereign Head of the
Order, and the Grand Prior of the Order is always another senior member of
the British Royal Family. His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester has
held this role since 1974.
In addition to the Grand Prior there are up to five other Great Officers who all
have particular roles in relation to different aspects of the Order worldwide.
The governing body of the Order worldwide is its Grand Council. The
members of the Grand Council are the Grand Prior and the other Great
Officers, the Priors or Chancellors of each of the Priories, and the Hospitaller
of the Order, who is the head of The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital
Group. Four members of St John Associations – different in each year – are
also invited to be present at meetings of the Grand Council and to participate
fully in its deliberations.
The Great Officers and the Grand Council are supported by the Secretary-
General, who heads a small headquarters Secretariat in London.
Each of the Priories, Commanderies and St John Associations have their own
constitutions. They are subject to the Charter, Statutes and Regulations of
the Order, but within that they have a wide degree of autonomy.
A Priory is governed by its Prior and a Priory Chapter.
A Commandery is bound by the constitution of the Priory of which it is part,
and it is governed by a Knight Commander, a Commandery Council and a
Commandery Chapter.
The arrangements for St John Associations vary, but they are generally
governed by a Chairman and a Council.
Section 11: Finance
Statute 42 of the Order’s Statutes says that:
“The Order is devoted to works of Charity and Humanity and it is a
fundamental rule that those who belong to the Order should contribute to
its Charities such Foundation Dues and Oblations according to their
position in the Order as may from time to time be prescribed…”
In concept, Oblations are a form of selfless giving for charitable purposes.
Membership of the Order carries with it an obligation to pay such dues and
oblations, unless exemption is granted in individual or general cases.
The Order itself has no endowment funds (although some of its
Establishments do). The Order receives no public funds in its role as an
Order of Chivalry, but it does receive some such funds specifically for use in
its charitable activities.
Under the Statutes of the Order, Foundation Dues and Oblations can be set
either by the Grand Council, for all Members of the Order, or by Priories for
their own Members. At present no dues or Oblations have been set by the
Grand Council.
Foundation Dues were initially introduced as a contribution to the cost of the
insignia. The Priory of New Zealand has done away with Foundation Dues,
but having done so retains ownership of the insignia as allowed for in an
instruction from the Grand Council. It is a requirement that, on promotion, the
Member will return insignia to the Priory to be replaced by the insignia of their
new grade. Insignia that is returned is refurbished and reissued where
possible.
Oblations are set by Priory Chapter and contributed in their entirety to the
Priory of New Zealand’s annual contribution to the Eye Hospital.
Section 12: The Insignia of the Order
Members of the Order are entitled to wear the Badge of the Order suspended
on a black ribbon.
The Badge is a representation of the eight-pointed Maltese cross, decorated
in the four main quadrants with a lion passant guardant and a unicorn
passant. These are frequently referred to as The Queen’s Beasts or the Royal
Beasts.
The insignia are worn on official uniform and on all occasions on which
orders, decorations or medals are directed to be worn. On occasions when
insignia of Orders, decorations and medals are not worn, the ribbon, with a
small silver cross in the centre, is worn on a medal ribbon bar without the
Badge suspended from it.
The Badge may be worn in miniature, on the same occasions as miniatures of
other orders, decorations and medals are worn. A Button may also be worn
on any occasion at the holders discretion, but not at the same time as insignia
are worn
Members are expected to attend an Investiture, but can wear the insignia of
the Order, including miniatures, at any time after the announcement has
appeared in the London Gazette (see Section 5).
As explained in Section 13, it is expected that, on promotion, they will return
insignia to the Priory to be replaced by the insignia of their new grade.
The Order Matters Manual, available on the Hub, is able to provide you with
more detailed guidance for wearing insignia.
Section 13: Further Information
Further information about any aspect of the Order referred to in this booklet
can be obtained from the Order’s website (www.orderofstjohn.org) or by
reference to the Order Matters Manual available on the Hub, or your Regional
Order Matters Co-ordinator.
Annex A: Statute 4
The Order is an ancient Christian brotherhood and its objects and purposes
shall be:
(a) The encouragement of all that makes for the spiritual and moral
strengthening of mankind in accordance with the first great
principle of the Order embodied in the Motto “Pro Fide”;
(b) The encouragement and promotion of all work of humanity and
charity for the relief of persons in sickness, distress, suffering or
danger, without distinction of race, class or creed and the extension
of the second great principle of the Order embodied in the Motto
“Pro Utilitate Hominum”;
(c) The rendering of aid to the sick, wounded, disabled or suffering and
the promotion of such permanent organisation during times of
peace as may be at once available in times of civil emergencies or
war, including the training and provision of technical reserves for
the medical services of the Armed Forces or any Civil Defence
Organisations;
(d) The award of medals, badges or certificates of honour for special
services in the cause of humanity, especially for saving life at
imminent personal risk;
(e) The maintenance and development of the St John Ophthalmic
Hospital in Jerusalem and the clinics and research projects
connected therewith;
(f) The maintenance and development of the St John Ambulance, the
objects and purposes of which are:
(i) The instruction of members of the public in the principles and
practice of First Aid, Nursing, Hygiene and other allied or
ancillary subjects;
(ii) The preparation, publication and distribution of text-books and
other training aids to facilitate such instruction and the
organisation of examinations and tests for the purpose of
issuing certificates of proficiency in such subjects;
(iii) The organisation, training and equipment of men, women and
young persons to undertake, on a voluntary basis either as
individuals or as organised groups, First Aid, Nursing and
allied activities, in the streets, public places, hospitals, homes,
places of work or elsewhere as occasion may require for the
relief, transport, comfort or welfare of those in need;
(iv) The instruction of boys and girls in First Aid, Nursing and
other subjects conducive to the education of good citizens;
(v) The provision of trained personnel to give assistance to
Central or Local Government Departments or to the Armed
Forces at times of emergency in peace or in war;
(g) The formation of ambulance and medical comforts depots and the
organisation and administration of transport by ambulance;
(h) The formation and administration of establishments, councils,
associations, centres or other subordinate bodies to facilitate the
work of the Order in local geographical areas;
(i) The maintenance of contact and the development of collaboration
with kindred Orders and bodies;
(j) The manufacture and distribution by sale or presentation of
publications, equipment or materials useful for or connected with
furthering the objects and purposes of the Order;
(k) The receipt and acceptance of donations, endowments and gifts of
money, lands, hereditaments, stocks, funds, shares, securities or
other assets whatsoever, and the borrowing, investing or raising of
money with or without security for any objects or purposes of the
Order and either subject to or free from any special trusts or
conditions;
(l) The maintenance, administration or development of all real and
personal property vested in or under the control of the Order, and
the sale, lease, mortgage, loan, exchange, gift, or any other
disposition of the same as circumstances may arise or permit; and
(m) The establishment and maintenance of libraries and museums and
the collection of works of art and objects of historical interest
relating to the Order.
Annex B: Code of Conduct for Order Members
Order Members are recipients of discretionary Honours from our Sovereign
Head, Her Majesty The Queen, on the recommendation of the Priory in New
Zealand of the Order of St John (“the Priory”) and therefore have special
status within the organisation. The Order is a Chivalrous Order and those who
have been admitted are required to declare that they will “conduct (themself)
as a person of honour”. This means that a high standard of conduct is
required of Order Members, as individual conduct reflects on the reputation of
the Order.
This Code of Conduct for Order Members is made pursuant to Rule 29.2 of
the Priory Rules and applies to all those who have been admitted to the Order
(“Order Members”). It is not exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with
the Priory’s Statutes, Rules and Regulations (amended from time to time) and
St John’s core values of Integrity, Teamwork, Professionalism and Empathy.
This Code also reinforces both the Declaration that Order Members sign when
invited into the Order and the promises that they make when invested.
Order Members must:
1. Act as persons of Honour with high standards of conduct at all times
a. Be compassionate, caring and kind towards all human beings
b. Be ethical and honest
c. Behave in a dignified way and demonstrate self-control and restraint
d. Be sensitive to the rights, values and humanity of the diverse
communities we serve.
e. Avoid any conduct that may reflect negatively on the Order’s
reputation
f. Respect the Christian traditions of the Order.
2. Respect the law and act accordingly by:
a. Complying with the laws of New Zealand.
b. Applying the provisions of the law to others with humanity and
charity.
3. Be responsible for their actions and accountable for the consequences of
those actions including:
a. Accepting responsibility for action they take, or fail to take, relating to
their position in the Order.
b. Being responsible for honestly and fully reporting on their actions
c. Putting the needs and reputation of the Order ahead of their own
interests
d. Complying with the Order’s Statutes, Rules & Regulations and
policies.
4. Not place themselves in a position where there is a conflict of interest, or
conflict with the ethos of the Order by:
a. Avoiding situations where their private interests conflict directly or
indirectly with their obligations to the organisation and the Order.
b. Avoiding association which any organisations or activities which are
at odds with the ethos and values of the Order.
5. Use the assets of the Priory only to fulfil the Objects of the Order by:
a. Not using the Order’s funds, assets or position in the Order to
provide private benefits for themselves or associates.
b. Not using the Order’s funds beyond what is demonstrated to be
responsible or necessary to carry out the works of the Order
(e.g. personal expenses, entertainment, travel or
accommodation).
6. Seek guidance on any aspects of this Code of Conduct where there is
doubt about its application.
Breaches of this Code may result in the suspension of involvement in the
activities of the Priory or termination of Order Membership, subject to
processes pursuant to the Rules & Regulations of the Priory.